Despite the Fact It Has No Casinos, D.C. Is Getting Ready to Launch Sports Betting

Despite the Fact It Has No Casinos, D.C. Is Getting Ready to Launch Sports Betting

The capital of the United States, Washington D.C, has already given the green light for the introduction of sports betting. However, the District of Columbia faces a problem that none of the states that made wagering on sports legal, had so far.

There are no casinos in D.C., which in practice means that there is no place where to place sportsbooks which can certainly pose a problem if you wish to offer sports betting. But the officials have come up with an ambitious plan to resolve this issue and introduce this activity to the residents of Washington.

Issuing New Licenses

The District’s regulator, D.C. Lottery, whose job is to oversee wagering on sports as well, has announced it will issue Class A gambling licenses to four sports venue located across Washington. These venues are Capital One Arena, Nationals Park, St. Elizabeth’s East Entertainment and Sports Arena and Audi Field. By doing this, the authorities believe they will make the most out of the activity.

Apart from this, the gambling watchdog also plans to issue Class B licenses to several hotels, restaurants and bars. However, only those facilities which are not within two blocks of the aforementioned sports venues will be eligible to get a license.

According to available information, the application process has already begun, and so far three bars have submitted their application for a Class B gambling license. The first step towards getting the licenses is to receive the approval of the D.C. Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA), which the three bars – the Brig, Wet Dog Tavern and Duffy’s Irish Pub – have obtained.

No Details Available at the Moment

However, bar owners expressed their feat that the entire process would cost too much. That’s why they decided to join forces and create a single platform. Called Bet D.C., this coalition aims to bring together all local bars and restaurants who wish to launch a sportsbook.

Commenting on the entire concept, Jeff Ifrah, gaming law attorney and the head of the Bet D.C., explained that having the network of bars together and the terms and the commercial agreements were very far along. He pointed out the biggest problem at the moment was that there was a lot of contingencies around what the regulations were going to look like, and there had been no guidance on that from the lottery.

But apart from the approval by ABRA, there is no detailed information on the rest of the process. The D.C. Lottery hasn’t revealed the exact number of Class B licenses that will be issued, nor what restrictions might be established along the way.

Sports betting in D.C. will be conducted by the Greek gaming company Intralot, which already run the lottery. The agreement with Intralot aroused a controversy, which could lead to the delay of the necessary license framework.

Lawmakers in Washington voted to make sports betting legal back in December, while the set of regulations was proposed a little over a month ago, prohibiting wagering on college teams and events.